"Real interview process was happening in the middle of the NBA Finals": JJ Redick spills beans on landing Lakers gig
JJ Redick was formally announced as the head coach of the LA Lakers on Monday. The new sidelines manager set all theories straight about how his coaching gig came about to rest by dishing out how the role transpired. The 40-year-old took the floor to the media after Lakers GM Rob Pelinka formally announced him as the team's HC. He replaced Darvin Ham who was fired following the team's first-round playoffs exit this past season. Fielding questions later on, Redick also shed light on how the process unfolded.
Speaking to Spectrum SportsNet, the former sharpshooter spoke about the role while adding that he "did not write the script" but somebody did.
"My sort of real interview process was happening in the middle of the NBA Finals. It was a lot of work I had to do over the last seven days... happy to have gotten to this point. And now, the work is to try and help this team win."
One of the highlights of the press conference was Pelinka constantly lavishing praise on Redick's "extraordinary" basketball acumen, and how his approach to the game from a more data-driven perspective would benefit the Lakers.
Now, the onus is on JJ Redick to deliver what he said was the basic expectation — an NBA championship. The LA Lakers last won a title in 2020 under Frank Vogel. He was fired two seasons later.
JJ Redick talks about Dan Hurley coming in as the competitor
The press conference on Monday also touched upon Dan Hurley reportedly being the Lakers frontrunner for the HC role when JJ Redick was calling the NBA Finals. Hurley eventually rejected the offer, and Redick addressed the elephant in the room soon after.
"When the process was going on and we first met in Chicago, I was getting ready to call Game 1 of the NBA Finals when the Dan Hurley news broke. Rob was quick to call me. We had a great conversation. During that whole four-day period, at no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way.
"Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third- and fourth-grade division. I understood."
JJ Redick's assignment is clear, and the 45-minute presser saw him handle all questions with answers that would please Lakers fans. However, the actual challenge begins when the season starts, and only time will tell if Redick can live up to what was expected of him.